[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 39, Number 41 (Monday, October 13, 2003)]
[Pages 1355-1361]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks to the Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce in Manchester, New 
Hampshire

October 9, 2003

    Thanks for the warm welcome. It's good to be back in New Hampshire 
again. I've spent some quality time here. [Laughter] It's good to see 
many of our friends. It seems like Manchester is a popular destination 
place these days--[laughter]--not just because the leaves are changing. 
[Laughter] This city was the scene of my first great victory in 2000, 
the perfect flip at the Presidential Pancake Flip-off. [Laughter] I 
would suggest some of our other fellow Americans practice. [Laughter]
    I want to thank the Chamber and the Business Industry Association 
for inviting me here today to talk about two great priorities of our 
country, to create jobs for America and to win the war on terror.
    I wish Laura was with me today. She sends her best wishes. You might 
remember that she has recently been on a diplomatic mission. She went to 
Russia, and she was in France. Perhaps you saw the picture--[laughter]--
of her in France. [Laughter] Last time I was in France, I got a nice 
welcome but nothing like that. [Laughter] She's such great 
representative for our country. I'm really proud to call her wife. I 
love her dearly.
    I want to thank Raymond for his kind introduction. I appreciate 
Harold Turner as well for letting me come. Thank you all for coming. I 
traveled from Pease Air Force Base with your fine Governor and First 
Lady, Denise. Craig, I'm proud to call you friend. Thank you for serving 
your great State. I'm also here with my buddy Judd Gregg and his wife, 
Kathy. Don't mess with Kathy. [Laughter]
    I'm also honored to be here with a fine United States Senator, John 
Sununu. I appreciate you coming, John. Congressmen Charlie Bass and Jeb 
Bradley flew down from Washington with me today. I know the mayor of 
Manchester and the mayor of Nashua are here with us today. I'm honored 
you are here. Members of the executive council are here; State 
representatives are here; State senators are here. The attorney general 
is here. There are a lot of people here that I need to thank. I 
appreciate you coming and giving me a chance to visit with you.
    When I landed today in Manchester, I met a fellow named Robert 
Perkins. He is one of the thousands of citizens who volunteer in your 
State. I like to point out people like Robert Perkins, because it gives 
me a chance to remind our fellow citizens that our true strength is not 
our military might. Our true strength is not the size of our wallet. The 
strength of this country is the heart and soul of fellow citizens who 
are willing to love a neighbor just like they'd like to be loved 
themselves.
    Robert Perkins volunteers at the Boys and Girls Club here in 
Manchester. He helped create the chapter in 1995. He has dedicated 5 to 
10 hours each week over the past 5 years. My call to our citizens is, in 
order to make America as hopeful and promising a place as possible, help 
somebody who hurts. Put your arm around somebody in need. And for those 
of you who already do so, like Robert Perkins, thank you for being 
patriots.
    Since I was last here, New Hampshire lost one of its finest 
citizens, Governor Hugh Gregg. He loved his country, and he served it 
well. He loved this State, and he believed in the common sense and 
wisdom of its people. This tradition continues in his good family. We 
honor Hugh Gregg's memory, and my family was proud to be his friend.
    I began my visit this morning at Pease, with the New Hampshire Army 
and Air

[[Page 1356]]

Guardsmen and reservists from every branch of our military. New 
Hampshire guardsmen have served on every front of the war on terror, 
from Afghanistan to Iraq to protecting our homeland to guarding the 
detainees at Guantanamo Bay. I went to tell them how much I appreciated 
the fact that they are showing what it means to be patriots and 
citizens. I told them that our country is grateful for their service.
    America is being tested. We're being tested abroad, and we are being 
tested here at home. And we're meeting the tests of history. We're 
defeating the enemies of freedom. And at the same time, we're 
confronting challenges to build the prosperity of our Nation. Every test 
of America has revealed the character of America. After 2 years, no one 
in the world, friend or foe, can doubt the strength or the will of the 
American people.
    When you become the President, you can't predict all the challenges 
that will come. But you do know the principles you bring to office, and 
they should not change. They shouldn't change with time, and they 
shouldn't change with polls. I took this office to make a difference, 
not to mark time. I came to this office to confront problems directly 
and forcefully, not to pass them on to future Presidents and future 
generations.
    The challenges we face today cannot be met with timid actions or 
bitter words. Our challenges will be overcome with optimism and resolve 
and confidence in the ideals of our country.
    Because we believe in our free enterprise system, we can be 
confident in our economy's future. Our economy has been through a lot, 
been through some tough times. When I took office, the stock market had 
been declining for 9 months, and the economy was headed into a 
recession. And just as we started to recover, the enemy attacked us on 
September the 11th, and that struck a blow to our economy. And then 
investor confidence was shaken by scandals in corporate America--
dishonest behavior we cannot and we will not tolerate in our America. 
And then we faced the uncertainty that preceded the battles of 
Afghanistan and Iraq.
    We have acted to overcome all these challenges, and I've acted on 
principle. See, Government doesn't create wealth. The role of Government 
is to create the conditions where risktakers and entrepreneurs can 
invest and grow and therefore hire new workers. I've acted to create the 
conditions for job growth. See, I understand that when Americans have 
more take-home pay to spend, to save, or invest, the whole economy 
grows, and someone is more likely to find a job.
    And so I twice led the United States Congress to pass historic tax 
relief for the American people. We wanted tax relief to be as broad and 
as fair as possible, so we reduced taxes on everyone who pays taxes. I 
don't think it makes sense to penalize marriage in the Tax Code. We want 
to reward and honor marriage. And so we reduced the marriage penalty. We 
understand it takes a lot of--to raise a family and to educate a child, 
so we increased the child credit to $1,000. This summer I said the check 
would be in the mail, and it was.
    It's counterproductive to discourage investment, especially during 
an economic recovery. So we quadrupled the expense deduction for small 
business investment and cut tax rates on dividends and capital gains. It 
is unfair to tax the estates people leave behind after a lifetime of 
saving and building up their business or running the family farm. When 
you leave the world, the IRS shouldn't follow you. So we're phasing out 
the Federal death tax.
    I proposed and signed these measures to help individuals and 
families, but I also know the effect it would have on small businesses. 
See, most small businesses in America pay taxes under the individual 
income tax rates. Most small businesses are sole proprietorships or 
Subchapter S corporations, and so when you cut all taxes, you benefit 
the small-business owner in America. And when you couple that with the 
higher expense deductions, we've really put the wind under the sails of 
small businesses. And that's important, because small businesses create 
most new jobs in our country. They're usually the first to take risks 
and the first to hire new people. The tax relief plan we passed helps 
small businesses, which helps economic growth, which means it's more 
likely somebody is going to find a job.

[[Page 1357]]

    The actions we're taking are helping people. We've cut the taxes on 
112,000 small-business owners in New Hampshire. We've reduced the 
marriage penalty for 192,000 couples. We've increased the child tax 
credit for 124,000 families. I understand this, that New Hampshire 
citizens can better spend their own money than the people in Washington.
    We're following a clear and consistent economic strategy, and I'm 
confident about the future of this country. Last month, the economy 
exceeded expectations and added net new jobs. Inflation is low. After-
tax incomes are rising. Homeownership is at record levels. Productivity 
is high, and it is rising. Factory orders, particularly for high-tech 
equipment, have risen over the last several months. Our strategy has set 
the stage for sustained growth. By reducing taxes, we kept a promise, 
and we did the right thing at the right time for the American economy.
    Just as our economy is coming around, some are saying now is the 
time to raise taxes. To be fair, they think any time is a good time to 
raise taxes. [Laughter] At least they're consistent. But I strongly 
disagree. A nation cannot tax its way to growth or job creation. Tax 
relief has put this Nation on the right path, and I intend to keep this 
Nation on the path to prosperity.
    We are moving forward, but we cannot be satisfied. We can't be 
satisfied, so long as we have fellow citizens who are looking for work. 
Here in New Hampshire, one out of every five jobs that have been lost 
are manufacturing jobs. And that's a problem. I believe we must act 
boldly to stem the tide of job loss. So I'm asking Congress to join me 
in carrying out a six-point plan for jobs for America.
    Businesses are more likely to hire people if the health care for 
workers is affordable. We need to allow association health care plans, 
where small businesses can pool risk and gain the same bargaining power 
as big businesses. And in order to control health care costs, we need 
effective legal reform, medical liability reform at the Federal level.
    Defensive medicine against frivolous lawsuits runs up the Federal 
budgets. It increases the cost of Medicare and Medicaid and veteran 
health benefits. Medical liability reform is a national problem that 
requires a national solution. The House has passed a good bill. It is 
stuck in the Senate. Senators must understand no one has been healed by 
a frivolous lawsuit in America.
    Unfair lawsuits are also harming a lot of good and honest employers. 
There are too many large settlements that leave plaintiffs with a small 
sum and lawyers with a fortune. Class actions and mass tort suits that 
reach across State lines should be tried in a Federal court so lawyers 
cannot shop around looking for a favorable judge. And most of the money 
in a judgment or settlement should go to those who have actually been 
harmed, not the lawyer. A good bill has passed the House. It is stuck in 
the Senate. We need class action tort reform out of the United States 
Senate.
    Our economy will grow stronger and create more jobs if we have a 
sound national energy policy. The manufacturing sector of New Hampshire 
and around our country need reliable sources of energy. We need better 
infrastructure. We need to modernize the delivery of electricity and 
natural gas so cities and businesses and employers are not left in the 
dark.
    We'll continue to give low-income people help with their fuel bills 
this winter. We must use our technology to develop plain and efficient 
energy sources so we can sustain economic growth and protect the 
environment. We need more energy production close to home. For the sake 
of national security and for the sake of economic security, America must 
be less dependent on foreign sources of energy. We passed a good bill 
out of the House and the Senate. They must come together and get a bill 
to my desk before they go home for Christmas.
    Most people will find jobs when employers don't have to waste time 
and resources complying with needless Government regulations. For the 
sake of American workers, we're cutting unnecessary rules and making 
some of the rules still on the books simpler to understand. This 
administration understands that small-business owners should spend more 
time building companies and pleasing customers and less time filling out 
the endless forms the Federal Government requires.

[[Page 1358]]

    To create jobs, we are pursuing free trade agreements that will open 
up markets for New Hampshire products. Last month, I signed trade 
agreements with Singapore and Chile, and we are working toward other 
free trade agreements across the globe. Expanded trade will help New 
Hampshire companies like Len-Tex and Warwick Mills and Tender to sell 
more goods, which will mean more jobs and better jobs for New Hampshire 
workers. I will insist that for free--not only will we have free trade 
but that there be a level playing field, that the people with whom we 
trade treat America fairly. I firmly believe that when the rules are 
fair, American workers and entrepreneurs can compete with anybody, 
anyplace, and anytime.
    There is one more thing we need to do. We need to make sure that all 
the tax relief we have passed doesn't disappear in future years. See, 
there's a quirk in the legislation. The tax cuts that we passed are 
scheduled to go away unless we act. The child credit will drop in 
several years. The death tax that we put to extinction will pop back up 
10 years after enactment. In other words, there's uncertainty in the Tax 
Code. See, Americans hear about tax relief. They don't expect to see 
higher taxes sneak through the back door. For the sake of job creation, 
for the sake of people looking for work, the United States Congress 
should make every one of the tax cuts we passed permanent.
    We have a responsibility to set good policies in Washington, and we 
are. Yet the real strength is found in the creativity and the 
entrepreneurial spirit of the American people. The entrepreneurial 
spirit is strong in this country. It's one of the great aspects of our 
national character. And that's why I'm so confident about the future of 
our economy.
    Brain Stowell is here. He's a second-generation entrepreneur based 
in Claremont, New Hampshire. I met Brian backstage. His family owned a 
cabinetmaking company called Crown Point Cabinetry, which started by his 
dad, Norm, in a garage, 25 years ago. Brian said, ``If you talk about 
me, make sure you talk about my dad, Norm.''
    Now that business employs 90 people. From the garage to now being an 
employer of 90 people, that's what America is all about. This year, 
four--this week, Brian added four new workers. Most new jobs in America 
are created by small-business owners. In the next 2\1/2\ years, he plans 
on adding 25 workers. Folks working now not only know they'll have a 
job, but they're about to be joined by other working with them.
    He says the tax cuts helped a lot. That's his words, not mine. 
Because of tax relief, he's putting more than $800,000 of his company's 
money at work in new equipment. See, he's made a decision. Tax relief, 
it creates demand. In a market-oriented economy, when there's more 
demand, somebody meets that demand with a service or a product. And when 
somebody meets that demand with a service or a product, somebody is more 
likely to find work.
    He's going to buy a new router, made in North Carolina. There's a 
router-worker who's going to be a--benefit from his decision caused by 
tax relief. He's going to buy a sander made in Minnesota, spray booths 
made just outside of Boston, Massachusetts, a forklift made in Iowa, 
more than a dozen other pieces of equipment, nearly all of them made 
here in America. The tax relief encouraged Brian to make an investment. 
And when he makes an investment, not only will it help his company be 
more productive, the people who are making the equipment for Brian to 
purchase are more likely to find work and keep work.
    He's an optimist. He's an optimist because he believes in the people 
in this country. Here's what he said. He said, ``After September the 
11th, everybody collectively held their breath, but our confidence has 
grown. We've turned a corner.'' Confidence like that is well-founded. We 
live in a country that rewards big dreams and honest effort. My job is 
to keep the entrepreneurial spirit alive and well through good policy in 
Washington, DC.
    As we overcome challenges to our economy, we are also answering 
great threats to our security. September the 11th, 2001, moved our 
country to grief and moved our country to action. We made a pledge that 
day, and we have kept it. We're bringing the guilty to justice. We're 
taking the fight to the enemy. And we now see that enemy very clearly. 
The terrorists plot in secret. They kill

[[Page 1359]]

the innocent. They defile a great religion. And they hate everything 
America stands for. These committed killers will not be stopped by 
negotiations. They won't respond to therapy or to reason. The terrorists 
who threaten America cannot be appeased. They must be found; they must 
be fought; and they must be defeated.
    We are in a different kind of war than we're used to. We're in a new 
war, and it requires a new strategy. We're not waiting for further 
attacks. We're striking our enemies before they can strike us again. 
We've taken unprecedented steps to protect our homeland, yet wars are 
won on the offensive. And America and our friends are staying on the 
offensive.
    We are rolling back the terrorist threat, not on the fringes of its 
influence but at the heart of its power. We're making good progress. 
We're hunting the Al Qaida terrorists and their allies wherever they 
hide, from Pakistan to the Philippines to the Horn of Africa to Iraq. 
Nearly two-thirds of Al Qaida's known leaders have been captured or 
killed. Our resolve is firm and clear: No matter how long it takes, all 
who plot against America will face the justice of America.
    We have sent a message understood throughout the world, ``If you 
harbor a terrorist, if you support a terrorist, if you feed a terrorist, 
you're just as guilty as the terrorists.'' And the Taliban found out 
what we meant. Thanks to our great military, Afghanistan is no longer a 
safe haven for terror. Afghanistan is free. Many young girls now go to 
the school for the first time in Afghanistan, and the people of America 
are safer from attack.
    And we fought the war on terror in Iraq. The regime of Saddam 
Hussein possessed and used weapons of mass destruction. He sponsored 
terrorist groups, inflicted incredible terror on his own people. Nearly 
every nation, every nation, recognized and denounced this threat for 
over 10 years. The U.N. Security Council, in Resolution 1441, demanded 
that Saddam Hussein disarm, to prove his disarmament to the world or 
face serious consequences. The choice was up to the dictator. He chose 
poorly.
    I acted because I was not about to leave the security of the 
American people in the hands of a madman. I was not about to stand by 
and wait and trust in the sanity and restraint of Saddam Hussein. So in 
one of the swiftest and most humane military campaigns in history, we 
removed the threat. Six months ago today, the statue of the dictator was 
pulled down.
    Since the liberation of Iraq, our investigators have found evidence 
of a clandestine network of biological laboratories, advance design work 
on prohibited longer-range missiles, an elaborate campaign to hide 
illegal weapons programs. There's still much to investigate. Yet it is 
undeniable--undeniable--that Saddam Hussein was in clear violation of 
the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1441. It's undeniable 
that Saddam Hussein was a deceiver and a danger. The Security Council 
was right to demand that Saddam disarm, and we were right to enforce 
that demand.
    Who can possibly think that the world would be better off with 
Saddam Hussein still in power? Surely not the dissidents who would be in 
his prisons or end up in his mass graves. Surely not the men and women 
who would fill Saddam's torture chambers or rape rooms. Surely not the 
families of victims he murdered with poison gas. Surely not anyone who 
cares about human rights and democracy and stability in the Middle East. 
There's only one decent and humane reaction to the fall of Saddam 
Hussein: Good riddance!
    Our country faces a choice. After all the action we have taken, 
after all the progress we have made against terror, there is a 
temptation to think that danger has passed. The danger hasn't passed. 
Since September the 11th, since that fateful day here in America, the 
terrorists have taken lives in Casablanca, Mombasa, Jerusalem, Amman, 
Riyadh, Baghdad, Karachi, New Delhi, Bali, and Jakarta. The terrorists 
continue to plot. They continue to plan against our country and our 
people. America must never forget the lessons of September the 11th.
    America cannot retreat from our responsibilities and hope for the 
best. Our security will not be gained by timid measures. Our security 
requires constant vigilance and decisive action. I believe America has 
only one option. We must fight this war until our work is done.

[[Page 1360]]

    We're fighting the war on terror on many fronts, and Iraq is now the 
central front. Saddam holdouts and foreign terrorists are trying 
desperately--desperately--to undermine Iraq's progress and throw the 
country into chaos. Terrorists in Iraq believe their attacks on innocent 
people will weaken our resolve. That's what they believe. They believe 
we'll run from a challenge. They're mistaken. Americans are not the 
running kind.
    The United States did not run from Germany and Japan following World 
War II. We helped those nations to become strong and decent and 
democratic societies that no longer wage war against America. And this 
is our mission in Iraq. We're rebuilding schools. We're rebuilding 
hospitals. Thousands of young kids have received immunizations recently. 
We're returning electricity and water to the good people of that 
country.
    We have pride in this help not only because our hearts are good, 
because our vision is clear. A stable and democratic and hopeful Iraq 
will no longer be a breeding ground for terror and tyranny and 
aggression. Free nations are peaceful nations. Our work in Iraq is 
essential to our own security. And no band of murderers and gangsters 
will stop that work or shake the will of America.
    Nearly every day, we're launching swift precision raids against the 
enemies of peace. Helped by intelligence from the Iraqis, we're rounding 
up the enemy and taking their weapons. We're working our way through the 
famous deck of cards. We've already captured or killed 43 of the 55 most 
wanted former Iraqi leaders. The other 12 have a lot to worry about. 
Anyone who seeks to harm our soldiers can know that our soldiers are 
hunting for them. Our military is serving with great courage. Some of 
the best have fallen. We mourn every loss. We honor every name. We 
grieve with every family. And we'll always be grateful that liberty has 
found such brave defenders.
    In defending liberty, we are joined by more than 30 nations now 
contributing military forces in Iraq. Great Britain and Poland are 
leading two multinational divisions. And in this cause with fine allies 
must be included the good people of Iraq. They want a peaceful country. 
They want security for their families.
    Last week, the first battalion of the new Iraqi army completed its 
training. Within a year, Iraq will have 40,000 members in their military 
force. Tens of thousands of Iraqi citizens are guarding their own 
borders and defending vital facilities and policing their own streets. 
We're making good progress in Iraq. Six months ago, the Iraqi people 
welcomed their liberation, 6 short months ago. And today, many Iraqis 
are armed and trained to defend their own liberty.
    Our goal in Iraq is to leave behind a stable and self-governing 
society which will no longer be a threat to the Middle East or to the 
United States of America. We're following an orderly plan to reach this 
goal. Iraq now has a Governing Council which has appointed interim 
government ministers. Once a constitution has been written, Iraq will 
move toward national elections. We want this process to go as quickly as 
possible. Yet, it must be done right.
    The free institutions of Iraq must stand the test of time. And a 
democratic Iraq will stand as an example to all the Middle East. I 
believe, and the Iraqi people will show, that liberty is the hope and 
the right of every land. I do not believe freedom is America's gift to 
the world. Freedom is God's gift to every individual in the world.
    Our work in Iraq has been long and hard, and it is not finished. We 
will stay the course. We will complete the task. And beyond Iraq, the 
war on terror continues. There will be no quick victory in the war on 
terror, but if we persevere, victory is certain.
    I'm confident of victory because I know the character of our country 
and our military, shown in the conduct of young men like Army Sergeant 
Matthew DeWitt of Hillsboro, New Hampshire. While serving in Iraq, 
Sergeant DeWitt stepped forward to volunteer on a dangerous mission to 
root out Saddam loyalists. In the fighting, he was seriously wounded. 
He's now receiving care at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center in 
Washington, DC. I was honored to visit him. He was awarded the Purple 
Heart. He doesn't consider himself a hero. He just says, ``I was just 
doing my job.'' Yet it is great people like this 26-year-old from New 
Hampshire who protect us. We count on them, and we're proud of them.

[[Page 1361]]

    The war on terror has brought hardship and loss to our country, 
beginning with the grief of September the 11th. Let us also remember 
that the first victory in this war on terror came that same day on a 
hijacked plane bound for the Nation's Capital. Those men and women on 
Flight 93, knowing they would die, found the courage to use their final 
moments to save the lives of others. In those moments and many times 
since, terrorists have learned about the courage of America and that we 
will not be intimidated. We will fight them with everything we have.
    Few of us are called to show the kind of valor seen on Flight 93 or 
on the field of battle. Yet all of us share a calling to be strong in 
adversity and unafraid of danger. We Americans have come through so much 
together, yet there is a lot to do. And if we're patient and united and 
determined, this Nation will not only prosper; this Nation will be 
secure as we prevail in the war against terror.
    Thank you for letting me come today, and may God bless you.

Note: The President spoke at 12:03 p.m. at the New Hampshire Holiday 
Inn-Center of New Hampshire. In his remarks, he referred to Raymond E. 
Pinard, chairman, board of directors, Greater Manchester Chamber of 
Commerce; Harold Turner, Jr., chairman, board of directors, Business and 
Industry Association; Gov. Craig Benson of New Hampshire and his wife, 
Denise; Mayor Robert A. Baines of Manchester; Mayor Bernard A. Streeter 
of Nashua; Peter W. Heed, New Hampshire attorney general; and former 
President Saddam Hussein of Iraq.